Norihiko Shiiya, MD. PhD. Congress President, 54th annual meeting of JSCVS Chief Professor, First Department of Surgery, Director, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine

Dear colleagues and friends,

It is my great pleasure and honor to invite you to the 54th annual meeting of the Japanese Society for Cardiovascular Surgery (JSCVS), which will be held from February 22 (Thu) to 24 (Sat), 2024 in Hamamatsu, Japan.

JSCVS is the largest society in Asia that is specialized in cardiovascular surgery with more than 4400 members. Its annual meeting is the most prestigious; about 3,000 participants are expected to attend in 2024. At the 54th annual meeting we are also planning the EACTS-JSCVS joint workshop on aortic valve repair on February 25 (Sun).

As we are getting out of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am preparing the 54th annual meeting as an in-person event to better share our professional experiences. This will be the second time that JSCVS annual meeting has been held in Hamamatsu; the first was in 2005, when Professor Kazui from our university hosted the 35th annual meeting. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the members for giving us such an opportunity.

The theme of the 54th annual meeting “Contribution through Education and Innovation” reflects our mission as a professional; it is our responsibility to pursue better quality healthcare in a sustainable way and to provide it to as many people as possible. To achieve this goal, the academic society plays a prominent role by educating next generation surgeons, providing CME, and sharing valuable experiences and innovations to raise the standard through cross-disciplinary discussions. On behalf of the organizing committee, I swear we will do our best to make the meeting fruitful. We are expecting valuable contributions from the international guest speakers, which are indispensable to the success of the meeting.

Hamamatsu city is located between Tokyo and Kyoto, and is one and a half hours from both cities by bullet train “Shinkansen”. It is located in the western part of Shizuoka prefecture, where Mt. Fuji and lake Hamanako are. It is a historical city where the first Tokugawa Shogun “Ieyasu” spent his childhood. Hamamatsu area, which is called “Enshu”, is known as the area where several motor companies like Toyota, Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki were originated. It is also known as the city of music; Hamamatsu jazz week and Hamamatsu international piano competition are held annually, and musical instrument makers like Yamaha, Kawai, and Roland have its headquarters in this area. You will also be able to enjoy a local specialty food “grilled eel”. The organizing committee is going to arrange for social events which will leave an unforgettable memory on the participants. Please make a note in your calendar to join us in Hamamatsu in February, 2024.

Sincerely yours,